A difficult obstacle associated with the exploration and production of oil and gas is management of significant ocean currents. These currents can produce vortex-induced vibration (VIV) and/or large deflections of tubulars associated with drilling and production. VIV can cause substantial fatigue damage to the tubular or cause suspension of drilling due to increased deflections. Both helical strakes and fairings can provide sufficient VIV suppression, but can be slow and unsafe to install.
Most helical strakes consist of one or more fins that are attached to a shell, often with the fins molded into the shell. However, the elimination of the shell can reduce cost substantially.
One method for eliminating the shell of a helical strake section is to wind the fins around the pipe directly without a shell present. However, it is difficult to align the pitch of each of the fins quickly and/or precisely without using measuring tools which can substantially slow down the installation.